Rampage edge Lake Erie again

Brett MacLean's deflection in front of the net scored the tying goal late in the third period, and Bracken Kearns poked in the game-winner 26 seconds later, lifting the Rampage to a 4-2 victory over Lake Erie on Wednesday night.

Through five games, Rampage wing Brett MacLean had fired shot after shot at the net -28 in all - but had only a single goal to show for it.

"Yeah, it's been frustrating," he said. "You push so hard, and nothing goes in. Then you're just standing there, and one goes in off your stick."

MacLean's deflection in front of the net scored the tying goal late in the third period, and Bracken Kearns poked in the game-winner 26 seconds later, lifting the Rampage to a 4-2 victory over Lake Erie on Wednesday in front of 2,420 fans at the AT&T Center.

Ryan Hollweg added an empty-net goal eight seconds after the Monsters pulled their goaltender to ice the Rampage's second victory over Lake Erie in three nights.

The Rampage beat the Monsters 3-2 on Sunday in a shootout.

Mikkel Boedker added a goal and an assist for the Rampage, who moved past .500 (3-2-1-0) for the first time since an opening-night victory over Chicago.

For the Monsters, the AHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche, it was their fourth game in five nights. But early on, it was the Rampage who appeared to be the tired team.

"We looked really bad the first period," Rampage coach Ray Edwards said. "We were disjointed, not in sync. But we got better as the game went on and had a really good third period."

It was a shot by Boedker that MacLean deflected - off the knob of his stick - past Monsters goaltender John Grahame to tie it at 2-2 at 15:47 of the third.